Hayfever - is there anything that works better than Piriton?

[lottieandmias]

My children really suffer from Hayfever. Piriton works for one of them but my 10 year old dd finds that it doesn't have much effect and I can see that she's still full of it.

Is there anything else I could try that might be better? TIA

[LadySybilLikesCake]

You could try a different brand as people's bodies often get use to them so it's good to change them every so often. Elderflower cordial can also help.

You can also put a little vaseline inside the end of her nostrils, this catches the pollen, and change her clothes when she comes indoors. Keep her windows closed during the afternoon as this is when the pollen levels are higher, and keeping her curtains closed during the day if the windows are open will stop the pollen going into her room.

Hope this helps

[phoebeflangey]

Local honey :)

[iseenodust]

Zirtek antihistamine if it's age appropriate. Piriton does nothing for me either.

[readyforno2]

I was going to say local honey too. Works for me!

[ibbydibby]

Have you asked GP? DS1 uses loratidine (think you may be able to buy this over the counter but we have it on prescription), Beconase nasal spray and sodium cromoglicate eye drops. Pollen count seems to have been pretty bad here (East Anglia) over last 10 days or so.

[stealthsquiggle]

Keep going back to the GP. My 11yo has been through Cetrizine and Loratadine (both worked, but he was zombified by the side effects to the extent that he would rather continue to suffer the symptoms) and the GP is now trying NeoClarityn and so far it seems much better, but our lovely GP has a definite "we will just keep trying until we find what works" attitude.

[lottieandmias]

Thanks so much for the helpful replies.

[ilovepowerhoop]

I'm sure benadryl has a childrens anti-histamine syrup from age 6

[ilovepowerhoop]

benadryl.co.uk/our-products/childrens-solution-six-plus/

[stealthsquiggle]

Benadryl is Cetrizine - generally the antihistamine of first resort for DC (or possibly second after piriton) - definitely worth a try, but hayfever is one of those things where different things work for different people (and what works/ doesn't work often changes over time).

[UriGeller]

chlorphenamine maleate. Its the safest one that's used for babies with allergies. Allerief, its called.

Sometimes it helps going back to basics with allergies as the body can get used to a progression of meds.

Cetirizine is the best one for me, but if I find its not doing its job I go back to chlorphenamine for a few days.

[ilovepowerhoop]

chlorphenamine maleate is the active ingredient of Piriton and the OP is looking for an alternative to piriton.

[lottieandmias]

We've got a doctor's appointment for today so hopefully will be able to get something better.

Sorry for the ignorance but when you say 'local' honey do you mean home made?

[Dawny72]

My 6 year old has suffered with hay fever for the last 3 years and this year is the worst. He was sent home from school twice last week because his eyes were so bad. He has been on Loratadine for 2 months this year but it didn't seem to be doing much so is now on Fexofenadine. The previous years he has also tried Cetirizine and Piriton. He hates eye drops but will use them if really bad. We do all of the normal hay fever prevention. I see a change in him within a couple of weeks of taking this medication. As the weeks go on he becomes more aggressive and is generally really challenging. It has gone from mischief to quite awful behaviour and he doesn't even seem to know or care that he is doing it. His hay fever is so bad that I can't take him off of the medication but hate giving it to him. Has anyone experienced similar problems? I have been to see 4 different Doctors now and none of them are aware of a change to behaviour due to these medicines. I feel like my son is drugged though out the summer months and feel terribly sad that I can't help him. I now dread the summer months and just want my son back. Does anyone have any suggestions or experienced behaviour issue due to these medicines?

[Sirzy]

DS is 4 - at the moment he is taking desloratadine and nasacort spray and we are currently waiting on a pescprition for eye drops.

[wfrances]

ds 10 takes 10 ml loratadine, beconase nasal spray 4 sprays in each nostril a day.eye drops and sunglasses.

[Lilybensmum1]

Dawny sorry to hear about your son, my DS has had hay fever since 2, he is now 5, we use certirzine with good effect. But,he also has eye drops twice a day, he had allergy testing at the hospital last month and he had an eye test, we were told that they could see how bad his hay fever was due to the condition of his eyes!!they told us to start eyedrops twice a day (we avoided before as he hated it) his symptoms have since improved, although the pollen is high at the moment he does still have symptoms but is much happier.

I think I'm trying to say hay fever needs a couple of approaches you might find if you can attempt eyedrops again the medicine will be more effective.

Has your son had allergy testing we now know what DS triggers are and he is so much better I can't tell you, he didn't use to sleep had time off school now controlled and we are in control. Horrible to see DCs suffering.

Good luck. ps eyedrops work better long term as opposed to occasional as some also have anti histamine action.

[lottieandmias]

Dawny - I'm sorry to hear of your problems, it sounds awful for you and your son. It's all very well for the GP to say they aren't aware of any problems but everyone's different where medication is concerned.

The GP gave us loratadine and I hope that will work. I have to take my older dd today as well as her hay fever has suddenly got a lot worse. The GP did say that some people need both oral medicine and nasal spray to keep on top of it but I can't see either child being happy to have that, especially the older one who is severely autistic!

[Dawny72]

Thank you. I will persevere with eye drops and push for allergy testing.

[stealthsquiggle]

Dawny, no experience of that specific one, but both Loratadine and Cetrizine, which are supposed to be non-drowsy, had really bad side effects for my DS - "drowsiness" would be one way to put it, but would be understating it - he was a zombie, and very very irritable as a result. He simply could not cope with a school day and was adamant that he would rather sniff and drip his way through a box of tissues a day than take them. Hence NeoClarityn (desloratadine) which seems, so far, better.

I have always found this to be a catch22 - the drugs make me tired, but so does the hayfever. I have resorted to Montelukast, which is really effective but has side effects of it's own (in my case, really vivid dreams which mean I wake up exhausted, but the same thing has been reported in some DC as night terrors). It is close to miraculous, for me, though - for the first time that I can remember I actually have days (weeks, even) when I don't feel like I have hayfever at all.

All I can say is that there are lots of drug options - so it's worth persisting with your GP, and not settling for something which affects your DS's quality of life nearly as much as the allergy would untreated.